Indo-US deal

As if coinciding with the fall of coalition government in J&K, the Congress-led UPA government in New Delhi felt quivers after the Red brigade formally withdrew from the coalition. Although the reasons for the fall of the Congress-led coalition government in the state have no connection with, nor any bearing upon the factors that prompted the Left parties to withdraw its support to the UPA government, the developments occurred almost around the same time. The Left ended its relationship with the UPA citing government’s initiative to go the IAEA to take ahead the civilian nuclear deal without taking coalition members into confidence. All through over four years of their coalition, the relationship of the Left and the Congress was marked by the differences – if not tussles – over a range of economic issues including rising inflation, opening up different segments of trade for foreign investment,  decentralization of public sector undertakings, etc. The Left was opposing the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal right from the day one and several times threatened to pull out of the coalition should the government go ahead with the deal. In the national media, both print as well as electronic, there have been marathon discussions on the merits and demerits of the deal.
Even as large segment in India is supporting the proposed Indo-US nuclear deal citing many advantages for India and reasoning that the deal would ensure the removal of nuclear embargo on India and would enable New Delhi to trade with the countries forming the Nuclear Supplier Group, there are some grave concerns. To say that the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal would have far-reaching ramifications on the entire South Asian region would be to state the least.  It won’t be difficult to image that in the post-deal scenario New Delhi would have to tow the American line on certain vital issues concerning the region. Already we have seen in the run up to this deal New Delhi’s volte-face on Iran in Vienna.  The energy hungry America has grand plans in the region and it needs allies to see its dreams coming true.
The deal that America has so painstakingly drafted and brought on silver plate to India would come without a cost is unimaginable. The US has exploited Pakistan to the hilt to seek its objectives in the strategically important Afghanistan. With Iraq and Afghanistan turned  into ashes, the warmonger has in its devilish mind some lethal plans for Iran. In its endeavor to isolate Tehran, the US has already used India in Vienna.  There is another hideous side to the story. The deal could have some effects on the apparent bonhomie between India and Pakistan. While India’s clenching the deal could lead Pakistan into seeking the same from China – and may be Beijing could be more willing to do it – the premier Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline can fall into jeopardy. Already India’s insistence that Iran take up the responsibility of delivering gas to it at Pakistan border signifies to the trust deficit between New Delhi and Islamabad. The expected dividend of the pipeline is one of the reasons for Pakistan to show some pliancy towards India on Kashmir imbroglio. Once India formally jettisons the IPI deal, Pakistan may be forced to tighten its stand on the issue which for years had been “running into its blood”.